The Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Energy and Resources’ Barry Haase has said the Federal Government’s emissions trading scheme will inflict great pain on miners, energy distributors, exporters and consequently the wider population.
According to Haase, the Federal Government should take a cautious approach and see what strategies other nations are implementing.
“We shouldn’t be waving the banner so quickly when there are nations that are far more populated and contribute far more to the perceived problem,” Haase told MINING DAILY.
“In the current economic climate, industry has enough challenges already as a result of international circumstances.
“The very idea of exacerbating issues associated with the financial downturn with an additional impediment of the Rudd Government’s making is not only unnecessary, but plain dumb.”
Haase said there are a number of indications from industry that the Rudd Government’s desire to implement an emissions trading scheme will delay and threaten investment in the sector.
According to Haase, Alcoa’s decision to hold off on its proposed Wagerup Refinery expansion illustrated the need for a more careful and considered approach by the Federal Government to its planned trading scheme.
Alcoa’s managing director Alan Cransberg said work needed to be done to understand the detail of the Australian Government’s emissions trading scheme before its halted Wagerup Refinery expansion project could be revisited.